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Torah Thoughts Relating To Current Events
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An Occasional Series by Michael Freund of Raanana, Israel
Comments/Feedback/Subscribe: parsha_sheet@hotmail.com
1. Coming Together
Parshat VaYakhel begins with Moses convening the Jewish people to instruct them about the building of the Tabernacle in the desert. The opening verse says, ?Moses gathered the entire assembly of the Children of Israel? (Chap. 35, verse 1).
The question: Why was it necessary to convene the entire Jewish people?
The answer: Menachem Beker, in his book Parperaot LaTorah, says that the Sages answer this by pointing to the link between the name of our Parsha (VaYakhel ? lit. ?and he gathered?) and the name of last week?s Parsha (Ki Tisa ? lit. ?when you shall raise up?). For when the opening verse of our Parsha is fulfilled ? namely, when all the Jews are ?gathered? (VaYakhel) together out of a true, heartfelt sense of unity ? then the Jewish people merit to stand up proudly, with their heads ?raised up? (Ki Tisa) against any enemy that may confront them. Hence, Moses gathered the entire Jewish people as a display of their restored sense of unity.
The lesson: Uniting the Jews has never been an easy task, as the account of the wanderings in the desert makes clear. The assembly described in our Parsha seems likely to have occurred after the divisive incident of the Golden Calf, in which opposing forces within the Jewish people were arrayed against each other. The heresy of the Calf, and the challenge it posed to the future of Judaism, threatened to cause irreparable damage to the unity of the nation. The incident ended with the destruction of the false god and the death of those who had worshipped it ? certainly a traumatic event by any standard, which one would expect to have left behind traces of bitterness and discord. That, perhaps, is what makes Moses? gathering of the entire Jewish people all the more remarkable, because it was not merely a ?unity rally? empty in meaning, but rather a true act of heartfelt communal fusion. In our own day, Israel has taken dramatic steps towards unity in recent months, with the establishment of a broad-based national unity government. Whether this arrangement will hold together, and how it will do so, remains to be seen. But if our ancestors were able to heal the wounds caused by the Golden Calf, then perhaps there truly is hope that we can overcome the national fissures created by Oslo, which divided the country as never before. Each of us has a role to play in making this happen. Whatever yours may be, make sure that you are filling it as best you can.
2. Fulfilling Your Pledge
After Moshe has gathered all of the Jews together, he relates to them G-d?s request that everyone who is inspired or moved to contribute to the building of the Tabernacle should do so. Moshe gives the Jews a menu of options for contributing, as well as a list of the various components of the Tabernacle. After the assembly disperses, those Jews who were moved to contribute returned with their donations. The Torah states, ?Every man whose heart inspired him came, and everyone whose spirit motivated him brought the portion of Hashem for the work of the Tent of Meeting, for all its labor and for the sacred vestments? (Chap. 35, verse 21).
The question: Is it possible that every person who pledged to give to the building of the Tabernacle actually did so?
The answer: Yes. Rabbi Chaim David Azulai, known as the Chida, says the Torah is indeed telling us that every person who was moved to contribute actually fulfilled his pledge. The Chida adds that the Torah is stating this as something that is exceptional, since the general rule is that even though numerous people may be inspired to do a good deed, many will ultimately fail to translate that feeling into action.
The lesson: Whether in the newspaper, on television or the radio, we frequently hear sad stories that move us in one way or another. A person without a home. Someone who lost his job. A breadwinner who was killed in a terrorist attack, leaving behind a widow with orphans. The natural human reaction to such stories is to sigh, to feel bad, to wish that we could do something to help, and then to turn the page. We may be moved by such cases, but the feeling is usually a fleeting one, and is rapidly forgotten as we get lost in the details of our own lives. That, perhaps, is what was so remarkable about the donations given by the Jews in the desert towards the building of the Tabernacle. Not only were they moved to do a good deed ? they actually followed through on their feelings, thereby setting an example for all of us. So when Jews are in distress, such as those in living Judea, Samaria and Gaza, who are targeted daily for attack, it is incumbent upon us to do more than just feel for them. We must transform our sympathy into concrete action, lending them a helping hand in their hour of need.
3. You Are My Sunshine
After the Tabernacle is completed, the Parsha tells us that when the Cloud of G-d was raised up from upon the Tent of Meeting, the Jews would embark on their next journey through the desert. If it did not rise up, then they would stay where they were. In the closing verse of Parshat Pekudei, the Torah states, ?For the Cloud of G-d would be on the Tabernacle by day, and fire would be on it at night, before the eyes of all of the House of Israel throughout all their journeys? (Chap. 40, verse 38).
The question: What is the significance of the fact that the Cloud was on the Tabernacle by day and fire was on it at night?
The answer: The Yalkut Eliezer (cited in Iturei Torah) says that this teaches us an important lesson. Every person is considered to be a Tabernacle in his or her own right, and when good fortune smiles on him, he should bear in mind that the cloud can always come and darken his life. However, when things are bad and everything around him is dark (i.e. ?at night?), he should not despair because the light will yet shine for him.
The lesson: The Yalkut Eliezer?s interpretation is directed at the individual, but it is equally applicable to the nation as a whole. When things were going well, Israel seemed to have lost itself in the joys of modern life, forgetting rather quickly that a cloud could easily come and darken the skies. As a result, when the cloud finally arrived in the form of the Palestinian intifada, the nation was caught by surprise, as so many were wrapped up in their own personal pursuits. The resulting despair consequently hit even harder, with the nation now finding itself gripped by despondency and a sense of hopelessness. But that is where the second part of the Yalkut Eliezer comes in: even in difficult times such as these, where Jews are being murdered almost daily and the safety of entire communities is threatened, despair is simply not an option. Things may seem bad, and they could very well get worse. But the Jewish people have withstood even greater challenges throughout history, and we did not return to our Land after two thousand years only to be uprooted once again. Like our ancestors before us, we must look beyond the darkness, and bear in mind that one day, the light will yet again shine through on the horizon.
Torah Thoughts Relating To Current Events
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An Occasional Series by Michael Freund of Raanana, Israel
Comments/Feedback/Subscribe: parsha_sheet@hotmail.com
1. Coming Together
Parshat VaYakhel begins with Moses convening the Jewish people to instruct them about the building of the Tabernacle in the desert. The opening verse says, ?Moses gathered the entire assembly of the Children of Israel? (Chap. 35, verse 1).
The question: Why was it necessary to convene the entire Jewish people?
The answer: Menachem Beker, in his book Parperaot LaTorah, says that the Sages answer this by pointing to the link between the name of our Parsha (VaYakhel ? lit. ?and he gathered?) and the name of last week?s Parsha (Ki Tisa ? lit. ?when you shall raise up?). For when the opening verse of our Parsha is fulfilled ? namely, when all the Jews are ?gathered? (VaYakhel) together out of a true, heartfelt sense of unity ? then the Jewish people merit to stand up proudly, with their heads ?raised up? (Ki Tisa) against any enemy that may confront them. Hence, Moses gathered the entire Jewish people as a display of their restored sense of unity.
The lesson: Uniting the Jews has never been an easy task, as the account of the wanderings in the desert makes clear. The assembly described in our Parsha seems likely to have occurred after the divisive incident of the Golden Calf, in which opposing forces within the Jewish people were arrayed against each other. The heresy of the Calf, and the challenge it posed to the future of Judaism, threatened to cause irreparable damage to the unity of the nation. The incident ended with the destruction of the false god and the death of those who had worshipped it ? certainly a traumatic event by any standard, which one would expect to have left behind traces of bitterness and discord. That, perhaps, is what makes Moses? gathering of the entire Jewish people all the more remarkable, because it was not merely a ?unity rally? empty in meaning, but rather a true act of heartfelt communal fusion. In our own day, Israel has taken dramatic steps towards unity in recent months, with the establishment of a broad-based national unity government. Whether this arrangement will hold together, and how it will do so, remains to be seen. But if our ancestors were able to heal the wounds caused by the Golden Calf, then perhaps there truly is hope that we can overcome the national fissures created by Oslo, which divided the country as never before. Each of us has a role to play in making this happen. Whatever yours may be, make sure that you are filling it as best you can.
2. Fulfilling Your Pledge
After Moshe has gathered all of the Jews together, he relates to them G-d?s request that everyone who is inspired or moved to contribute to the building of the Tabernacle should do so. Moshe gives the Jews a menu of options for contributing, as well as a list of the various components of the Tabernacle. After the assembly disperses, those Jews who were moved to contribute returned with their donations. The Torah states, ?Every man whose heart inspired him came, and everyone whose spirit motivated him brought the portion of Hashem for the work of the Tent of Meeting, for all its labor and for the sacred vestments? (Chap. 35, verse 21).
The question: Is it possible that every person who pledged to give to the building of the Tabernacle actually did so?
The answer: Yes. Rabbi Chaim David Azulai, known as the Chida, says the Torah is indeed telling us that every person who was moved to contribute actually fulfilled his pledge. The Chida adds that the Torah is stating this as something that is exceptional, since the general rule is that even though numerous people may be inspired to do a good deed, many will ultimately fail to translate that feeling into action.
The lesson: Whether in the newspaper, on television or the radio, we frequently hear sad stories that move us in one way or another. A person without a home. Someone who lost his job. A breadwinner who was killed in a terrorist attack, leaving behind a widow with orphans. The natural human reaction to such stories is to sigh, to feel bad, to wish that we could do something to help, and then to turn the page. We may be moved by such cases, but the feeling is usually a fleeting one, and is rapidly forgotten as we get lost in the details of our own lives. That, perhaps, is what was so remarkable about the donations given by the Jews in the desert towards the building of the Tabernacle. Not only were they moved to do a good deed ? they actually followed through on their feelings, thereby setting an example for all of us. So when Jews are in distress, such as those in living Judea, Samaria and Gaza, who are targeted daily for attack, it is incumbent upon us to do more than just feel for them. We must transform our sympathy into concrete action, lending them a helping hand in their hour of need.
3. You Are My Sunshine
After the Tabernacle is completed, the Parsha tells us that when the Cloud of G-d was raised up from upon the Tent of Meeting, the Jews would embark on their next journey through the desert. If it did not rise up, then they would stay where they were. In the closing verse of Parshat Pekudei, the Torah states, ?For the Cloud of G-d would be on the Tabernacle by day, and fire would be on it at night, before the eyes of all of the House of Israel throughout all their journeys? (Chap. 40, verse 38).
The question: What is the significance of the fact that the Cloud was on the Tabernacle by day and fire was on it at night?
The answer: The Yalkut Eliezer (cited in Iturei Torah) says that this teaches us an important lesson. Every person is considered to be a Tabernacle in his or her own right, and when good fortune smiles on him, he should bear in mind that the cloud can always come and darken his life. However, when things are bad and everything around him is dark (i.e. ?at night?), he should not despair because the light will yet shine for him.
The lesson: The Yalkut Eliezer?s interpretation is directed at the individual, but it is equally applicable to the nation as a whole. When things were going well, Israel seemed to have lost itself in the joys of modern life, forgetting rather quickly that a cloud could easily come and darken the skies. As a result, when the cloud finally arrived in the form of the Palestinian intifada, the nation was caught by surprise, as so many were wrapped up in their own personal pursuits. The resulting despair consequently hit even harder, with the nation now finding itself gripped by despondency and a sense of hopelessness. But that is where the second part of the Yalkut Eliezer comes in: even in difficult times such as these, where Jews are being murdered almost daily and the safety of entire communities is threatened, despair is simply not an option. Things may seem bad, and they could very well get worse. But the Jewish people have withstood even greater challenges throughout history, and we did not return to our Land after two thousand years only to be uprooted once again. Like our ancestors before us, we must look beyond the darkness, and bear in mind that one day, the light will yet again shine through on the horizon.